Off-shore drill rig



G. E. SUDEROW OFF-SHORE DRILL RIG Sept. 26, 1961 Filed May 4, 1954 3Sheets-Sheet 1 .n III1 INVENTOR.

GEORGE E. SUDEROW A TTORNEYS Q 4 3 H 9 I Sept. 26, 1961 G. E. SUDEROWOFF-SHORE DRILL RIG 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1954 1N VEN TOR.

GEORGE E.SUDEROW A T TORNEYS Sept. 26, 1961 G. E. SUDEROW 3,001,594

OFF-SHORE DRILL RIG Filed May 4, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

GEORGE E. SUDEROW A T TORAEYS U i d a e P ten 7 OFF-SHORE DRILL RIGGeorge E. Suderow, New York, N.Y., assignor to De Long Corporation, NewYork, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 4, 1954, Ser. No.427,554 16 Claims. (Cl. 175-9) The present invention relates to a marinevessel such as a floating barge or the like for use in subaqueousoperations and more particularly to an improved olfshore drilling rigassembly.

An important object is to provide a simple, efficient, economical andcompact floating barge, on which is movably mounted complete drillingrig and producing platform equipment. The drilling rig preferablyincludes a mobile hollow or boxlike structure the top wall or surface ofwhich is sufficiently rigid and durable to constitute a base or floorfor supporting a drilling derrick or the like. Within the hollow basemay be positioned the operating machinery and pumps. To one end or sideof the barge may be pivotally or detachably connected at producingplatform which is arranged to be moved to a horizontal positionsubstantially in alignment with the deck of the barge so as toconstitute a longitudinal extension thereof.

A further object consists in associating with the mobile supportingmember, a pipe handling platform which may be pivotally connected to thesupporting member so as to extend outwardly and above the producingplatform when the latter is in its horizontal position, in order toprovide means for facilitating the transfer of the pipes from thestowage rack and pipe chute to the derrick to insure quick and eflicienthandling of the pipes during the drilling operation.

Another object consists in operatively associating a producing platformwith a floatable barge or the like, and in which means are provided forseverably connecting the producing platform to the barge so that theparts may be quickly assembled and the derrick erected over the wellsite at a minimum expenditure of time, labor and cost. Further, theparts are constructed and arranged so that the drilling operation maytake place in either shallow or deep water. If a well is discovered,then the producing plafiorrn is provided with means for permanentlymaintaining or leaving it at the drilling site and a new producingplatform is attached to the barge. If, on the other hand, a well is notstruck, the floating barge, drill rig and producing platform may betowed to a new drilling site.

, .Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description when taken in conjunction with theaccompanying claims and draw- Referring to the drawings in which isshown a preferred embodiment the invention may assume:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a barge constructed in accordancewith the present invention and showing the barge and its associatedparts in their floating position;

FIGURE 2 is a side detail view partly in section of FIGURE 1 and showingthe barge and its associated parts in their drilling or operatingpositions;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 4-4of FIGURE 2;

' FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line55 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a detailed plan view of a modified form of barge assembly.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates a marine vessel such as afloating barge or the like having a working deck 11 and verticallydisposed well openings 12 into which loosely fit supporting legs 13,preferably in the* form of hollow tubular member or caissons, with whichare associated any suitable jack mechanism 14, such as the jack assemblyembodied in the co-pending Pointer application, Serial No. 283,567, forfirmly embedding the caissons in the submarine ground and for raisingthe barge 10 and its associated parts above the level of the water (FIG.2).

of rails or skidways 16 mounted on the deck 11 and extending from themidship portion 17 of the barge to the end 18 thereof (FIG. 3). Aproducing platform or overwater well head support 19 is movablyconnected by hinge pins 20 to the end portion 18 of the barge 10, and;is provided with a plurality of openings 21, for receiving supportingcolumns or piles 22, and centrally aligned drilling openings 23 Anelongated drilling substructure, i.e., a supporting-- member or base 25preferably hollow or of boxlike coni struction, is provided with closedsides so as to form a I compartment 26 in which are mounted mud pumps 28and engines 27 for driving drilling equipment and the pumps 28. Mudtanks 29 may also be positioned in the compartment 26. Mounted on thetop of the member 25, at that end thereof nearer the barge end 18, is adraw works 30 and a rotary 31 both driven by the engines 27. A pipe rack32 is also mounted on the top of the supporting member 25. To the outerend of the hollow supporting member 25 is pivotally connected a pipehandling platform 33 as at 34. The supporting member 25 has extendinglaterally from one side thereof, a pipe chute 35 (FIG. 3) provided withlongitudinally spaced rollers 36 for conveying pipes 37 from the rack 32outwardly to the pipe platform 33, which is also provided with a chute35' arranged to register with the chute 35 when the platform 33 is inits horizontal position as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3. Thus, it will beseen that simple, ellicient, and compact means are provided for enablingthe quick and efficient handling of the pipes during the drillingoperation. A crane 38 may be provided for handling the pipes so as totransfer them from the rack 32 to the chute 35.

A derrick 39 is carried by the supporting member 25 over the rotary 31and has its legs 40 secured to the top of the member in any suitablemanner as at 41. Thus, the

top area of the substructure 25 beneath the derrick con-v stitutes adrilling table. The bottom 42 of the substructure 25 (FIG. 5), may beprovided with pairs of spaced.

depending lugs 43 connected by bolts 44 to the member. The lugs 43' ofeach pair, have transversely aligned bear-' ing openings for receivingthe axles 45 of a flanged rollerv necessary drilling equipment requiredto service one ormore producing platforms. Thus, it will be seen thatthe oil-shore drilling rig can with equal facility be used for drillinga new well or can be floated to an existing platform erected in anysuitable manner so as to drill a new well, clean out an existing Well ordrill an additional well on the same platform where a well has run dry,without interfering with the free movement of the floating barge. Inorder to position the substructure 25 in cantiever fashion beyond oneend of the barge, the drilling equipment Patented Sept. 26, 1961 is s'opositioned on the substructure that the center of gravity of the latter,when in such position, is inboard of the barge.

In operation, the barge with the caissons 13 in their raised'positionand the supporting member 25 moved to the midship portion 17 ofth'ebarge, is' towed to the site. It will be noted that theproducing'platform 19 and the pipe handling platform 33 are swung abouttheir pivots so as to assume the stowed position shown in FIGURE 1, withthe platform 33 resting against the derrick 39. When the barge reachesthe site of operation, the caissons 13' are lowered so as to be firmlyembedded in the marine ground by the jacks 14. The caissons 13 may bemade up of sections connected to-' gather to suit the length requiredfor the depth of the water where the drilling is to be done. isthenraised by the jacks 14 to the desired height above the water andlocked in this position. The producing The barge 10 platform 19 is nowlowered to its horizontalposition as shown in FIGURE 2, and the pipehandling platform 33 issimilarly swung outwardlyfso that the pipe chute35' registers with the chute 35. The supporting member 25 and thederrick 39 are now moved over the producing piatform 19 (FIG; 3), untilthe center line of the rotary 31 registers with one of the drillingopenings 23 located at the selected well station (FIG. 3), so that thedrilling of a well can be started. The crane 38 is then brought intooperation so as to feed pipes 37 from the rack 32 to the platform 33through the chutes 35 and 35'; The

pipes are chuted to the platform 33 in order to facilitate handlingandto provide space for temporary stowage.

Thus, means are provided for preventing the pipes from being tied up orblocked in the chutes when being fed to the platform 19, during thedrilling operation.

When a producing well comes in, the piles, caissons,

columns, or studs 22 are driven through the openings 21 into the groundby any suitable mechanism, and are permanently attached to the producingplatform. After the drill rig 25 and its associated parts are moved backonto the barge, the necessary pumping machinery, if required, can thenbe mounted onthe producing platform and connected to the well. Thehinged pins which pivotally connect the producing platform to the bar 10are removed, so that the barge'is free to be, and is lowered into thewater. The caissons 13 are then raised from engagement with thesubmarine ground by the jacks 14, so that the barge is now in theposition shown in FIGURE 1 and ready to be moved to another drillingsite. The producing platform 19, of course, is left in its stationaryposition for use in further production of the .well. A new producingplatform is then pivotally connected to the barge so that it may bemoved to a new location and the operation repeated. When the parts arein their stowed position (FIG. 1), the pipe platform 33 acts as a stopfor the producing platform 19.

Thus, it will be seen that the barge 10 can be used re peatedly at a newdrilling site by the addition of a new producing platform, if a well hasbeen struck, or the same platform can be used if no well is brought in.Further, the substructure and its associated parts, are

constructed in such a manner that the entire unit can be movedeither'forwardly or rearwardly by sliding it on the rails or skidways16, or by some other efiicient method of guiding the rig to a desiredposition. The barge assembly can operate in shallow deep water and ineither case the caissons 13 are moved or jacked down; into a firmbearing engagement with the. marine ground, and then the barge is raisedabove the water to the neces-' sary heightl Where non-uniform contour ofsubmerged ground is encountered, the jack operation at each caisson 13can be controlled separately so that an equal bearing is obtained at allcaissons to insure proper leveling of the barge on its supportingstructure. Moreover, the drill rig: can be reused at ditferent locationsby adding new or 7 used producing platforms and replenishing supplies asrequired. Several wells canbe drilled whilethe bargeis 3,001,694 j p r ein one position and the barge may be removed from one site afterdrilling and used to service existing wells. It will be seen that whenthe substructure 25 and its associated parts are returned to the midshipposition on the barge, the pipe platform 33 can be swung about its pivot34 to a stowed position and engage the adjacent side of the derrick.Similarly, the. producing platform 19 may be moved about its pivot 20 soas to overlap and engage the adjacent side of the now folded pipeplatform 33 (FIG. 1). a

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIGURE 6, the floatingbarge 10 may be substantially similar inconstructionto the bargepreviously referred to, and'include's the caissons 13 which extendthrough the Well openings 12 and are operable by suitable jackmechanism-s so as to be raised, lowered, or leveled. The substructure 25may be'mova'ble along the rails 16 and supports a derrick insubstantially the same manner-as previously described. The producingplatform 47, however, is integrallycoupled or connected, as at 48, tothe end of the barge 10, and is prcwided with guide openings 49 forreceiving caissons, piles, or studs 50, which may be operated upon bysuitable jack mechanisms similar to the jacks 14 previously described.In this modification,

the rails extend onto the'producing platform 47 which is also providedwith the centrally disposed aligned well drill site, can easily be movedto an operating position over the producing platform 47 so as to belocated over the desired point of drilling. The caissons 13 and 50, maythen be lowered so as to be embedded in the submarine ground andthe-barge may be raised above the water .to. provide a working platform.The caissons 13 W co-act with the caissons 50 to properly support thedrill barge 10 and the producing platform 47 during the drillingoperation. A derrick or the like carried by the supporting-member 25, isthen positioned over producing- ,7 platform 47 so that the center lineof the rotary is located over the selected well station.

After at producing Well comes in, the mobile substructure 25 whichsupports the derrick and drilling equipment', is moved back to itsstowed position on the barge 10. The producing platform 47 is thenuncoupled or the deck, bulkheads and shell, cut through at 48 toseparatethe platform from the barge in order to leave the producingplatform 47 at the drillingsite with the necessary pumping equipmentmounted thereon, for continuing the operation of the Well. The barge 10is then lowered into the wateriby operation of the jack mechanism 14previously described, and, the caissons 13 raised so that the drillbarge may be towed to a site where a new producing platform .47 maybeadded by coupling or welding the platform to the end of the barge. V

, Thus, it. will be seen that an ofi-shore drilling rig assembly isprovided for drilling a new well orfor cleaning.

out or servicing an existing well or drilling an additional well on thesame platform. As an example, assumingthe barge is moved to drill a wellthrough a producing platform 19, as shown in FIGURE 2, and another'wellin the vicinity becomes plugged, the drilling'operation can betemporarily discontinued, and the derrick 39and-all other equipmentmoved clear of the producing platform 9 and the latter left at thedrilling site. The barge 10 and its. equipment can then be lowered intothe water and floated to the well to be cleaned out. On arrival at thislocation, the barge is raised out of the water on its sup-. porting legsand the well cleaned out. When the necessary servicing operationihasbeen completed, the barge can-be returned to its'original, site andproceed with the drillingthereat.

. spot-59:4

7 It will that the forms of the invention shown are merely illustrativeand that such changes may bemade as come within the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

l. A working assembly for subaqueous drilling operations including: afloating barge; a producing platform; means for detachably connectingsaid platform to one side of said barge so that said platform may bemoved to a horizontal position in alignment with said barge toconstitute a longitudinal extension thereof; a supporting member movablymounted on said barge and arranged to be moved out over said producingplatform and to continue to be supported on said barge without overbalancing; drilling equipment including a derrick mounted on saidsupporting member adjacent one end thereof so as to be movable therewithfor drilling downwardly through said platform; and means for supportingsaid barge and platform above the water at the well drilling site.

2. A working assembly for subaqueous drilling operations including: afloating barge; a producing platform fixed to said barge and extendingoutwardly from one side thereof, said barge having guide means thereon;a supporting member movably mounted on said guide means so as to bepositionable on said producing platform; drilling equipment including aderrick on said supporting member and arranged to be moved onto saidproducing platform to drill downwardly therethrough, said barge andplatform having vertical guide openings; supporting legs axially movablein said openings; and means for moving said legs relative to said bargeand producing platform to raise and lower said legs relative to saidplatform and barge when the latter is a afloat and to raise and lowersaid barge and platform on said legs when the latter are engaged withthe marine bottom, said producing platform being severable from saidbarge so as to be left at the drilling site. 1

3. A drilling barge comprising: a buoyant body having projectinghorizontally from one side thereof a severable portion provided with adrilling opening; a plurality of generally upright elongatedmarine-bottomengageable members for supporting said body, including saidportion, above water; means mounting each of said members on said body,including said portion, for substantially vertical relative movementtherebetween; means mounted on said body, including said portion, forefiecting said movement; and a drilling substructure, including adrilling table, a rotary, and a derrick, and means mounting saidsubstructure on said body, including said portion, for horizontaltranslational movement between an operative position on said bodyportion for drilling a Well therethrough and an inoperative position onsaid body off of said portion.

4. A working assembly for sub-aqueous drilling operations including: afloating barge; means for supporting said barge above the water, anelongated drilling substructure horizontally movable on said barge; aderrick carried on one end of said substructure; drilling equipment forservicing one or more producing platforms carried on said substructure,and the center of gravity of said substructure and equipment carriedthereon being located so that said substructure is movable to projectthe derrick end thereof in cantilever fashion outwardly beyond theperipheral outline of said barge, without overbalancing saidsubstructure for drilling a well or for servicing an existing well.

5. A self-contained drilling barge comprising: a buoyant body mobile asa unit and carrying all equipment necessary to drill a well or servicean existing well; means for at least partially supporting said body onthe marine bottom with at least an upper portion of said body abovewater; an elongated drilling substructure carried on said body forhorizontal translational movement; a drilling table, a rotary, and aderrick, mounted on one end of said substructure, the center of gravityof the latter and the elements cairied thereby being located so thatsaid: substructure can be moved between an inoperative ,positionsubstantially inboard of the peripheral outline of said body and anoperative position wherein saidend projects in cantilever fashionwithout over-balancing said substructure, and disposes said table,rotary, and derrick outboard of said outline for well drilling orservicing purposes.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 in which the supporting meansincludes a plurality of marine-bottom-engageable legs mounted on thebody for extension and retraction therebeneath and power-operated meansfor selectively effecting or restraining said extension or retraction.

7. The structure defined in claim 5 including: a mud tank; a mud pump;draw works; and an engine for driving said pump, draw works, and therotary; said tank, pump, draw works, and engine being mounted on thesubstructure. v

8. Themethod of drilling a marine well, the steps comprising: floatingto the drilling site a drilling barge carrying all necessary equipmentto drill a well; at least partially-supporting the barge on the marinebottom with the working deck of the barge above water; supporting aproducing platform outboard of and adjacent the barge; moving from aninoperative position on the barge to an operative position over theplatform a drilling table, a rotary, and a derrick while supporting thetable, rotary, and derrick on the barge; drilling a well downwardlythrough the platform with the table, rotary, and derrick moving thetable, rotary, and derrick back to their inoperative position;refloating the barge; and floating the barge away from the site leavingthe platform in situ.

9. The method of servicing amarine well having a producing platform,'thesteps comprising: floating to a position adjacent but entirely to oneside of the platform a drilling barge carrying all necessary equipmentto redrill or clean out a well; at least partially supporting the bargeon the marine bottom'with its working deck above water and adjacent theplatform; moving from an inoperative position on the barge to anoperative position over the platform a drilling table, a rotary, and aderrick while supporting the table, rotary, and derrick from the barge;redrilling or cleaning out the well with the table, rotary, and derrick;moving the table, rotary, and derrick back to their inoperativeposition; refloating the barge;. and floating the barge away from thewell.

10. A working assembly for subaqueous drilling operations including: abarge, a producing platform; hinge pins detachably connecting saidplatform to one side of said barge so that said platform may be swungfrom an upright to a horizontal position to constitute a longitudinalextension of said barge; a drilling substructure mounted on said bargefor horizontal movement thereon to project over said platform withoutoverbalancing, when said platform is in its horizontal position; anddrilling.

equipment, including a derrick, mounted on said substructure fordrilling downwardly through said platform when said substructureprojects over said platform.

11. In combination, an over-water well head support, an over-watermarine structure adjacent said well head support, a movable drillingsubstructure on said marine structure for bridging said marine structureand said well head support; means for moving said substructure on saidmarine structure to a position wherein one end of said substructureoverhangs said marine structure and overlies said well head support; andcomponents mounted on said substructure constituting a welldrilling-servicing rig, said components being distributed on saidsubstructure so that the weight of said substructure and components onsaid overhanging portion of said substructure is counterbalanced by theweight of said substructure and components overlying said marinestructure, whereby said well head support is relieved of the weight ofsaid overhanging portion of said substructure.

12. A self-contained drilling barge comprising: a bony- '2 ant bodymobile .as a unit and carrying an equipment necessary to drill a well orservice an existing wall; means forrat least partially supporting saidbody on the vmarine,

bottom with at least an upper portion of saidibody above water; anelongated drilling substructure mounting at one end thereof a drillingtable, a rotary, and 1a derrick, said substructure being carried on saidbody, for horizontal translational movement between aninoperativeposition substantially inboard of the peripheral outline ofsaid body and an operative position wherein said end projects incantilever fashion Without overbalancing said substructure, and disposessaid table, rotary,,and derrick outboard of said outline for welldrilling or servicing purposes; and a producing platform, having atleast one drilling opening extending theretbrough, detachably connectedto and mounted on said body for movement between an inoperativetpositionsubstantially inboard of said outline and an operative horizontaldrilling position outboard of said outline and below said substructurefor movement of the latter to position said table, rotary, and derrickover said platform for drilling downwardlly through said opening. V

13. A self-contained drilling barge compri ing: a buoyant body mobile asa unit and carrying all equipment necessary to drill a well or servicean existing well; means for at least partially supporting said body onthe marine bottom with at least an upper portion of said body abovewater; an elongated drilling substructure mounting at one end thereof adrilling table, a rotary, and a derrick, said substructure being carriedon said body for horiaontal translational movement between aninoperative position substantially inboard of the peripheral outline ofsaid body and an operative position wherein said end projects incantilever fashion without overbalancing said substructure, and disposessaid table, rot y, and derrick outboard of said outline for welldrilling or servicing purposes; a producing platform, having at leastone drilling opening extending therethrough, detacha'bly connected toand. mounted on said body for. movement between an inoperative positionsubstantially inboard of said outline and an operative horizontaldrilling position outboard of said outline and below said substructurefor movement of the latter to position said table, rotary, and derrickover said platform for drilling downwardly through said opening; and aplurality of marine-bottom-engageable legs securable to said platformfor supporting the latter independently of said body when detachedtherefrom.

14. A drilling apparatus comprising: a buoyant body having aplatform-like working deck; means carried by said body for selectivelyfloating the latter or at least partially supporting the same on themarine bottom with said deck above water; an elongated drillingsubstructure carrying at one end thereof a rotary and a drillingderrick, said one end of said substructure extendingouo board oftherperipheral. outline of said body witb said rotary and derrickoperative positioned over the location to bedrilled and the other end ofsaid substructure disposed inboard of said outline, the center ofgravity of said substructure andthe elements carried thereby being inboard of said outline; and means mountingsaid elongated substructure onsaid body for horizontal translational movement between said outboardoperative position and an inoperative position substantially entirelyinboard of said peripheral outline. t

15. A self-contained drilling barge comprising: a buoyant body mobile asa unit having a working deck and carrying all equipment necessary todrill ,a well or service an existing well; means for at least partiallysupporting said body on the marine bottom with said deck above water;drilling mechanisms including a drilling table, a rotary, and a derrick;and means for carrying and moving said mechanisms as a unit on saiddeckgfrom an inoperative position substantially inboard of theperipheral outline of said body to an operative positiomand for supporting said units in said operative position, wherein said units areoutboard of said outline and overhang an edge of said body forwelldrilling or servicing purposes.

16. A self-contained drilling barge comprising: a buoyant body mobile asa unit having a working deck and carrying all equipment necessary-todrill a well or service an existing well; means for at least partiallysupporting said body on the marine bottom with said deck above water;drilling mechanisms including a drilling table, a rotary, and a derrickon said body and movable as a unit from asubstanti-allyinboard-inoperative stowed position to an operative position whereinsaid mechanisms are substantiallyoutboard of said body; and overhang anedge thereof for well drilling and servicing purposes; and cantilevermeans for supportingsaid -mech-. anisms at least partly from said bodyin said operative position. a

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

